Selector apparatus.



H. O. RUGH.

SELECTOR APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB.15, 1910.

1, 1 1 2,841 Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY O. RUGH, 0F SANDWICH, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

, HALL SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SELECTOR APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY O. RUGH, citizen of the United States, residing at Sandwich, in the county of Dekalb and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Selector Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to double signal selector systems, and more particularly to that class of systems wherein there are provided at a plurality of sub'stations, impulse mechanisms which are adapted to occupy a plurality of different positions, generally equal in number to the number of substa tions served, which impulse mechanisms, however, are enabled to operate two signals; that is, my invention shows means for selectively operating two signals at each substation with an impulse mechanism which selectively calls all stations, and which impulse mechanism is adapted to occupy a number of different positions corresponding to the total number of substations. In my application, Serial No. 478,088, filed February 15, 1909, and Patent No. 956,782, I have shown a system broadly embodying these features, and my present invention is an improvement over such systems in that I employ a reversal of the current at the central station to accomplish this result, or, in other words, and more broadly speaking, I use currents of different electrical character to accomplish this result. The currents of different electrical character herein are taken as positive and negative direct current.

I will explain my invention more in detail by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment there of, in which I have shown a central station A, and substations, B, C and D. At the central station I provide a key 1, which is adapted to send impulses over the line wires 2 and 3, from the battery 4. A reversing switch 5 controls the connection of the battery 4 to the line wires, so that either positive or negative impulses may be sent. These positive or negative impulses operate a selector mechanism comprising the impulse wheel 6, carrying a pointer 7, and the conducting element 8, which has a portion broken away from its periphery, so that said element 8, when m the zero position, does not contact with a spring 9, but when stepped out of its zero position, makes contact with said spring 9. A combined magnet and relay 10 is bridged across the line wires 2 and 8, a second relay 11 being also included in this bridge. This second relay is of the polar variety, and depending upon the direction of the current therethrough makes contact with either of the contact points 12 or 13. The contact point 12 is associated with the local. signal 14, and contact pointy13 is associated with local signal 15, both of which signals are under the control of the spring 16, adapted to be engaged by the arm 7. A battery 17 is connected to the armature 18 of the relay l0, and when attracted, closes circuit with a contact point 19, which leads to the armature 20, adapted. to engage either of the contact points 12 or 13. Either positive or negative impulses over the line wires operate the magnet 10, which, by virtue of the arm 21, steps up the element 6 to its required contact-making position with the spring 16, and if the impulses are of a positive character, contact is made with the bell 1 1, whereas, if the impulses are of a negative character, contact through contact point 13 is made with the bell or signal 15, and either of these signals, operates through the agency of the battery 17, after the relay 10 has been stepped to close elements 7 and 16, and is then held in an attractive position. IVhen stepping past the element 16 of the station E, for instance, the impulses are so rapid that the slow-acting signals 1-1 and 15 have not time to respond. They only respond when the impulses cease, and at that particular station, elements 7 and 16 are in contact, the relay 10 at the same time remaining in an attracted position. I use the terms signal or bell in the broad sense of signalcontrolling or signal-operating devices, and do not limit myself to the specific form shown. It will thus be seen how any station can be called, and depending upon whether the current is positive or negative in character, either signal-1 1 or signal 15 will respond. Whenever the element 16 is moved from its normal or zero position, as before stated, the notched wheel. 8 closes circuit with a spring 9, which thereby establishes a circuit from the ground 22, element 8, spring 9, winding of the slow-acting magnet 23, back contact 24, armature 18, battery 17 and ground.

It will be seen that at each stepping operation, while the impulses are being set, momentarily the armature 18 engages the element 24 to establish this last-mentioned ciIicuit, but this momentary energization is not sufiicient to attract the armature on account of the heavy, current conducting shell 26, preferably of copper, which is provided upon said magnet 23. But when, after the impulses have ceased, and, we will say, station B has been called by stepping up the element 6, so that elements 7 and 16 contact, and the magnet 10 has been held in its attracted position to give time for either signal 14 or 15 to operate, then the key 1 at the central station is released, as the signal operation is complete. IVhen this occurs, armature 18 falls back to permanently engage its back contact 24, and the magnet 23 is given time to attract its armature 25, thereby releasing the arm 21 and holding pawl 27,'which holding pawl is entirely under the control of said magnet 23, and thereupon the arms 21 and 27 being released, the

element 6 returns to its normal or zero position, as indicated at station B. This is accomplished by means of a spring indicated in dotted lines at 28. In this position, the spring 9 has its contact broken with the notched wheel 8, and thereupon, circuit is again opened to the magnet 23. It will thus be seen that, broadly speaking, through the agency of currents of different electrical character, I can operate twice as many signals as there are steps to be operated by the controlling impulse mechanism.

I do not limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement as herein set forth, but having described its most salient features, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A selector mechanism comprising a step-by-step element, a pawl for stepping said element, a pawl for holding said element in stepped position, a magnet for controlling said holding pawl and a circuit for Said magnet controlled by said stepping ipawl.

l 2. In a substation selector apparatus, the combination of an electro-magnetic signal, a circuit therefor, a step-by-step element, a pawl for stepping said element, a holding pawl for said element, a magnet for said holding pawl and a circuit for said magnet, said magnet-circuit and signal-circuit being controlled by said stepping pawl.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe -my name this 1st day of February A. D,

HARRY O. RUGH.

Witnesses:

MAX WV. ZABEL, J. ELLIOTT.

-Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

